ABSTRACT
Purpose - to study the features of vitamin D status and the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on 25(OH)D in the serum of school-age children with COVID-19, taking into account the genotype of the rs2228570 polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. Materials and methods. The pilot, prospective, open-lapel study included 36 schoolchildren aged 9-16 who experienced asymptomatic (12 children) and mild / moderate (24 children) COVID-19. In all children were studied the content of 25(OH)D in blood serum and its dynamics underthe influence of supplementation of 10001U per day for 12 weeks, taking into account the genotypes and frequency of distribution of alleles of the rs2228570 polymorphism of the VDR gene (26 children). Results. Children with asymptomatic COVID-19 were characterized by normal values of 25(OH)D (32.68+2.12 ng/ml). Children who underwent mild / moderate COVID-19 were probably more (41.7%) likely to have a state of hypovitaminosis vitamin D (27.36+2.12 ng/ml) and fewer children (58.3%) with an optimal level of 25(OH)D than children with asymptomatic disease. In 80.7% of the examined children, the genotype was determined by the rs2228570 polymorphism of the VDR gene, which includes the G allele with greater transcriptional activity of the VDR receptor. Supplementation of 1000 IU of cholecalciferol per day, regardless of 25(OH)D status and genotype for this polymorphism probably increased the supply of vitamin D in examined children with a tendency to increase 25(OH)D in children with genotype by polymorphism rs2228570 VDR gene, which includes allele G. Conclusions. Vitamin D deficiency can be considered as a risk factor for the symptomatic course of COVID-19 in children, which requires monitoring and correction of vitamin D status, the effectiveness of which can be determined bythe genotype of the rs2228570 polymorphism of the VDR gene. Further studies of the role of vitamin D/VDR complex in the development and severity of COVID-19 in children will significantly expand the understanding of the pathogenetic relationship, to suggest and predict the effectiveness of personalized vitamin D supplementation regimens. © 2022 by the Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract caused by a new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A global vaccination program against SARS-CoV-2 continues, and the incidence of COVID-19 worldwide is significantly decreasing. However, among millions of those who survived COVID-19, numerous groups will need assistance due to increased clinical consequences after COVID-19. Currently, there is a need to search for molecular biomarkers for monitoring the onset and progression of post-COVID syndrome. For this purpose, the relative average length of chromosome regions was studied in the groups of women of reproductive age: in the group of patients (n = 64) recovered from COVID-19 and in the control group (n = 42) of women of the same age. The analysis was carried out using a method of multiplex monochrome quantitative real-time PCR on DNA samples isolated from the peripheral blood leukocytes. According to the results of the study, it was established that the relative average length of chromosomes in the peripheral blood leukocytes was statistically significantly lower in the group of patients with COVID-19 than in the control group (p < 0.05). The results obtained allow one to state that the observed shortening of the relative average length of telomeres in the group of patients that recovered from COVID-19 can indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection can directly cause the erosion of telomeres in the blood cells, particularly, in leukocytes. Thus, the determination of the relative average length of telomeres can be an informative prognostic marker for estimating the risk of the severity of COVID-19 disease and the development of post-COVID syndrome.
ABSTRACT
Research objective: to determine the risk factors for the spread of coronavirus infection among women of fertile age. Materials and methods. Authors analyzed the medical records (case histories and questionnaires) of 60 women of fertile age who were treated for coronavirus disease. After analysis of medical and social factors women were divided into age groups. Analysis of risk factors for coronavirus disease was determined by calculating the odds ratio according to Wald at p < 0.05. Results. Evaluation of the odds ratio of the COVID-19 chances depending on the nature of work of women of different ages showed that with intense work the risk of disease increases 2.5 times in the age group up to 30 years, which also confirms the analysis of previous indicators, that younger women with moderate workloads have more opportunities to attend mass events and crowds. In the structure of extragenital diseases in women with coronavirus disease, the chances of disease increased 2.6 times in those women who had a history of chronic tonsillitis. Among the history of infectious diseases, the chance ratio of coronavirus disease was increased in women over 30 years of age who had pertussis. Such data may indicate a similar mechanism of development of these diseases, because the causative agent of pertussis also penetrates the upper respiratory tract and may be accompanied by neurological symptoms – the appearance of seizures and bronchospasm. Conclusions. The data obtained in this way allow us to separate a narrower cohort of women of fertile age who may develop coronavirus disease. This will further allow developing proposals for a more efficient distribution of vaccines among the female population of Ukraine and reduce the prevalence of coronavirus infection.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first recorded in China in December 2019, quickly spread to other countries and in a short period of time, the local outbreak escalated into a pandemic. There are significantly more cases of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in European countries than in East Asia, where the disease was first detected. Such population differences are unique, especially for SARS-CoV-2 and are due to both socio-behavioral differences and features of the gene pool of the population of different countries. For infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, an important point is the genetic characteristics of individuals, which can determine its resistance or susceptibility to infection. Therefore, studies of the factors of hereditary predisposition to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as severity and mortality are extremely relevant. After genotyping among the healthy population of Ukraine and collecting relevant data from some European countries, we determined the correlation between morbidity, mortality from COVID-19 and the prevalence of genotype II (ACE1, I/D polymorphism) in the populations of Ukraine and several European countries. There was a negative correlation between the carrier of genotype II and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection per one million population (R = -0.53, p < 0.05), so individuals with genotype II can be considered more resistant to infection SARS-CoV-2. Further study of the role of allelic variants of the ACE1 gene in the development of severity and complications affected patients of COVID-19, are promising for identified of genetic markers for development of personalized therapy.